You’re shopping for guitars, but you’re struggling to find the best one to fit your needs. Some necks are too long, some bodies are too wide, and some just don’t produce the right sound. To combat this, you may want to consider building your own guitar. Let’s discuss some pros and cons of building a guitar to help you with your decision.
Pros
Customization. This goes without saying, but building a guitar from scratch allows you to make a guitar that’s tailored to your playing style and genre. We offer a variety of luthier parts to help you customize your instrument.
Learning about the instrument. If you want to learn the science behind how a guitar works, building your own guitar or bass is a great way to do so. When choosing parts for your guitar, you have to understand how each part affects the sound and what you need to combine to get the sound you want. There are many articles online to help you learn, like our article about the different pieces of an acoustic guitar.
Gaining a new hobby. Designing and building your own guitar takes time, but it is a very rewarding experience once it’s complete. If you’re looking for a new quarantine hobby, building a guitar may be the perfect fit. You’ll also save money in the long run in labor costs when your guitar needs a fix.
Cons
Cost. Building a guitar can become more expensive than buying a premade instrument, especially if you’re decking your guitar out with custom hand picked wood tops and accessories. However, many find the cost to be worth it for having a guitar fit just for them.
Time. Building an instrument takes a lot of time and hard work. It is not something you’ll learn overnight, and there will be some trial and error to get your instrument perfect. However, putting a lot of time into a project creates a very rewarding experience when the guitar is complete.
Risk. When building anything with many parts and electrical elements, there is a level of risk involved, especially regarding damaging the pieces if you install them incorrectly. While this can be intimidating, there are many tutorials and workshops online that can help you learn every step of the process. The higher the risk, the higher the reward.
Building your own guitar may seem daunting, but with the right tools and lessons, it is a very gratifying experience and allows you for a fully customized instrument. Check out our luthier page to learn more about building your own guitar.
